Recommendation HIA-1: Public Apology
From Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, published 20 January 2017.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Northern Ireland Executive and those who were responsible for each of the institutions investigated by the Inquiry where we found systemic failings should make a public apology. The apology should be a wholehearted and unconditional recognition that they failed to protect children from abuse that could and should have been prevented or detected. We also recommend that this should be done on a single occasion at a suitable venue.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry asked the Northern Ireland Executive and responsible institutions to make a public apology. The Executive Office (Northern Ireland) stated in March 2022 that five Ministers had offered a public apology to victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse, describing action on the government apology but not institutional apologies (The Executive Office (Northern Ireland), Mar 2022). Northern Ireland Executive Ministers had stated in February 2022 that their apology on behalf of government would be followed by apologies from each of the institutions investigated by the Inquiry (The Executive Office (Northern Ireland), Feb 2022).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 1 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation asks for cultural or behavioural change, which is difficult to verify from published sources alone. The record reflects policy commitments rather than measured outcomes.
Government response
No formal government response published. The Inquiry reported on 20 January 2017, the month the Northern Ireland Executive collapsed; the report The Executive Office and the Northern Ireland Office laid before Parliament in September 2019 records that, because of the collapse, the report and its recommendations had not yet been put to the Executive.
Delivery
The Executive Office (Northern Ireland) says completed (11 March 2022)
Ministers Michelle McIlveen, Conor Murphy, Nichola Mallon, Robin Swann and Naomi Long have today offered a public apology to victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse.
From: Apology to victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse: Ministerial statements
Northern Ireland Executive says in progress (24 February 2022)
As Ministers, we will deliver the apology on behalf of government. This will be followed by apologies from each of the institutions where systemic failings were found in the Hart Report.
From: Statement from Ministers delivering HIA apology
Site note: A statement by Ministers Michelle McIlveen, Conor Murphy, Nichola Mallon, Robin Swann and Naomi Long, published by The Executive Office on 24 February 2022, announcing the public apology they delivered on 11 March 2022. The "Hart Report" is the Inquiry's report.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Northern Ireland Executive
Response, delivery statement - The Executive Office (Northern Ireland)
Delivery statement